At the Fresh AIR student hackathon held in Odesa, a team of Ukrainian students, Echo Glow, presented an innovative module for remote mine clearance, costing only $30.
This is reported by Finway
Innovative Development for Safe Mine Clearance
The solution proposed by the Echo Glow team has the potential to drastically reduce the costs of clearing landmines in Ukraine. The module operates using a special glove that reads the operator’s movements and synchronizes them with a manipulator in real time. This allows a person to control a robotic arm from a safe distance away from explosive devices.
“The operator wears a special glove, the system reads the movements and transmits them to the manipulator. The person controls the robot as if it were their own hand. Existing systems on the market cost over $10,000, while our control module will only cost $30,” explained one of the team members.
Record Hackathon and Partner Support
In 2026, the Fresh AIR hackathon gathered over 40 teams, setting a new record for the event. Along with the increase in participants, partner support also significantly grew—the prize fund reached 100,000 UAH, nearly double that of previous years.
In addition to developments in remote mine clearance, other technological solutions for enhancing safety are actively being implemented in Ukraine. In particular, drones with artificial intelligence have been created for surveying mined areas.